[Westheim]

Raccoons (63-73) @ Loggers (69-66) – September 2-5, 2069

The Coons were not quite done yet with receiving beatings from the Loggers, with seven games remaining between these teams. Milwaukee was actually only up 6-5 this year, but the Critters had not looked great in this matchup for a long time. This was the best offense facing the very worst offense (guess which one we are), but the Loggers also conceded the most runs. However, they murdered pitchers so marvelously, they still had a +77 run differential while bleeding runs like crazy. Starting pitcher Danny Ortiz (12-8, 4.13 ERA) was day-to-day with a sore shoulder, which was their only injury.

Projected matchups:
A.C. Stebbins (7-7, 4.01 ERA) vs. Julio Robles (12-6, 4.31 ERA)
Tony Gaytan (8-14, 4.29 ERA) vs. TBD
Jimmy Wharton (5-3, 5.40 ERA) vs. B.J. Butrico (2-6, 5.46 ERA)
Vinny Morales (9-8, 3.47 ERA) vs. Curt Green (5-11, 6.05 ERA)

Only right-handed pitchers here… and whatever they’d find for Tuesday, which was Ortiz’ spot.

Willie Jalomo made his ABL debut as a starter at third base on Monday.

Game 1
POR: SS Duhe – LF Otal – CF T. Wharton – RF Corral – C Flowe – 2B Fumero – 1B Gomez – 3B Jalomo – P Stebbins
MIL: RF D. Wright – CF Merrill – 1B C. Ramirez – C M. Rodriguez – LF C. Dominguez – SS Reber – 2B F. Carrera – 3B Murcia – P Ju. Robles

Stebbins did not allow a base runner through three innings, but Jose Corral did, dropping Kyle Reber’s fly in the second inning for an error. Reber was left on base though by Fidel Carrera, who was nearing the end of an injury-wrecked and miserable season. The Raccoons got Otal and Wharton on base with singles in the first, but didn’t score until the fourth when Wharton hit a leadoff jack to left. Cesar Ramirez and Carlos Dominguez then hit singles off Stebbins in the bottom of the inning, but a timely K on Reber dismissed the challenge.

Willie Jalomo hit a single for his major league knock in the fifth inning and was then forced out by Stebbins on a bad bunt, and that was basically all there was to the game through five, Stebbins hurling a 2-hitter with five strikeouts. Dave Wright drew a leadoff walk in the bottom 6th, but the run never got off first base as Jonathan Merrill hit into a force and Ramirez and Manuel Rodriguez both flew out. Jalomo hit another single in the seventh and was stranded this time, and Fidel Carrera hit a 2-out single off Stebbins in the bottom of the inning, but got himself caught stealing to get Stebbins through seven on 98 pitches.

Top 8th, Otal and Wharton hit another pair of singles with one out and were then balked into scoring position by Robles. Corral was walked intentionally, but that move proved inefficient when Robles then went on to nick Jake Flowe to force in a run. J.P. Gallo pinch-hit for Fumero, but popped out, and Gomez grounded out to third base to decline further runs on the board. Danny Nava pitched a quick eighth inning before the ball went to Valentin in the ninth inning. He got outs from Merrill and Ramirez before getting taken deep by Rodriguez, 2-1. Oh well, still ahead! Dominguez eked out a walk, and then Sean Van Leeuwen batted for Reber. The rookie was the last batter of the game, crushing a walkoff homer to right. 3-2 Loggers. Otal 2-5; T. Wharton 4-4, HR, RBI; Jalomo 2-4; Stebbins 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K;

(looks like he’s had well enough from everything and everybody)

Game 2
POR: SS Duhe – LF Otal – CF T. Wharton – RF Corral – 3B Gallo – 2B Fumero – 1B Gomez – C Jalomo – P Gaytan
MIL: 3B Van Leeuwen – CF Merrill – 1B C. Ramirez – C M. Rodriguez – LF C. Dominguez – RF D. Wright – 2B Carrera – SS Reber – P Butrico

Gaytan pitched behind in the count a lot *and* gave up rockets, so he was probaby not gonna get very far in this game. Reber singled home Wright in a messy bottom 2nd in which Gaytan issued hits to Dominguez and Reber, and walked Carrera, all in 3-ball counts. The Coons began the fourth inning with an Otal single and stolen base, before Wharton walked. Corral smashed into a double play and Gallo flew out to right rather easily as scoring remained hard. Dan Gomez hit a double in the fifth and overran second base to get tagged out as he tried to dive back in, which was … splendid, and then the Loggers got an unearned run when the Coons’ defense let the guard down and Fumero made an error ahead of a pair of singles for Ramirez and Dominguez, the latter getting his 107th RBI of the year as he brought in Merrill. You’d struggle to make 107 by putting any two Raccoons’ tallies other than those of Wharton and Gallo together….

Gaytan failed his way into the sixth before being squeezed out of the game. Pacheco struck out Van Leeuwen to strand a runner left over by Gaytan, and the left-hander and Holzmeister both got two outs to complete seven innings. The Raccoons were basically invisible until the eighth inning, when Fumero hit a leadoff single and stole second base. Dan Gomez hit another double, this one bringing in the team’s first run in the now 2-1 game, and this time he also ******* stayed on second base as the tying run with nobody out. Jalomo singled softly to right and runners went to the corners. Marquez batted for Holzmeister and tied the game with a firm single to left. Victor Ramirez replaced Butrico, but allowed a single to Duhe to load the bases for Otal (with nobody out…), who struck out (of course!). Tyler Wharton clipped an RBI single to left, though, giving the Coons a 3-2 lead. Corral singled to right, driving in Marquez and Duhe, Gallo walked, and Fumero hit a sac fly to center. Dan Gomez wasn’t done raking and got an RBI single to right-center, and the Loggers reached for Vincent Hernandez to K Jalomo to end the inning, a raucous 7-spot for the Raccoons!

Juan Vega and Gabriel Rios collected the last six outs for the Raccoons from there, and didn’t allow the Loggers to get back into the game. 7-2 Coons. Duhe 2-4, BB; Gomez 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Marquez (PH) 1-1, RBI; Mireles 1-1;

Tony Gaytan did not allow an *earned* run, but oh dear, he wasn’t good at all…!

Game 3
POR: SS Duhe – LF Otal – CF T. Wharton – RF Corral – 3B Gallo – C Flowe – 1B Gomez – 2B Mireles – P J. Wharton
MIL: RF D. Wright – CF Merrill – 1B C. Ramirez – C M. Rodriguez – LF C. Dominguez – SS Reber – 2B F. Carrera – 3B Van Leeuwen – P C. Green

Jimmyboy was behind almost immediately, giving up a 2-2 triple to leadoff man Wright and the run then on Merrill’s groundout in the bottom 1st. It didn’t get any better after that. Cesar Ramirez already hit a long fly out, and while Green struck out four Coons in a row between the second and third, Wharton allowed a leadoff single to Van Leeuwen in the third inning, then walked Green on four pitches, and finally gave up a 3-run bomb to Wright.

Otal doubled and Tyler Wharton singled him home in the fourth, but that only narrowed the score to 4-1. Green didn’t get an out in the sixth, leaving after Duhe hit a leadoff single in the inning, and was replaced with Jorge Quinones. Otal forced out the runner with a groundout to second, but Wharton doubled to left, bringing up the tying run, but Corral and Gallo both fanned and the runners were left on second and third. Jimmy Wharton went a bit longer and covered six and two thirds after the early bombardment, but the damage had of course already been done. Quinones and Jimmy Dingman held the Raccoons away into the ninth inning, when ex-Coon Nick Robinson tried to put the game away. Gallo and Novelo hit 1-out singles with one out, but Dan Gomez found a double play to swat the runners with. 4-1 Loggers. T. Wharton 2-4, 2B, RBI; Novelo (PH) 1-1;

Not that it meant anything, but the Raccoons notched mathematical elimination with this loss, as the first team in the Continental League this year.

Day off for Tyler Wharton and Jared Duhe on Thursday. The Raccoons came up against another right-hander in Matt Crist (10-6, 4.45 ERA).

Game 4
POR: CF Otal – LF Fumero – C Marquez – RF Corral – 3B Gallo – 1B Gomez – 2B Novelo – SS Mireles – P Morales
MIL: 3B Van Leeuwen – CF Merrill – 1B C. Ramirez – LF C. Dominguez – RF D. Wright – 2B F. Carrera – C Bergeron – SS Reber – P Crist

The Raccoons couldn’t score in the first despite a Fumero double and Marquez reaching on an error when Corral softly lined out to first, and Gallo grounded out. Merrill and Ramirez singled and Carlos Dominguez bombed Vinny Morales for a 3-run homer inside four batters for the home team, though. Dominguez added a fourth RBI for himself, the 111th to his 2069 tally, in the third when Merrill and him hit a pair of doubles off a rather unimpressive Morales, who was chewed up after five miserable innings and left down 4-0, because of course the Raccoons were not scoring.

The lousy Coons got Novelo on base in the seventh, then sent Wharton to pinch-hit for Jason Holzmeister, who had done a scoreless sixth against the bottom of the Loggers lineup. Before Wharton could take a rip, Novelo got himself picked off first base. Wharton then singled, but was stranded… Crist was still going in the eighth and allowed a single to Marquez and a double to Corral with one out. J.P. Gallo finally did a thing and bonked a 3-piece to right, but that of course left the Critters still one run short. Dan Gomez singled to put the tying run on base, and Novelo crashed into an inning-ending double play to render the effort pointless. A pinch-hit single by Willie Jalomo against Robinson put the tying run on again with one gone in the ninth. Jalomo was many things, but not a runner, and Wally Leggett pinch-ran for him. Leggett responsibly held court at first base while Otal whiffed and Fumero grounded out to end the game. 4-3 Loggers. Marquez 2-4; Corral 2-3, BB, 2B; Novelo 2-4; T. Wharton (PH) 1-1; Jalomo (PH) 1-1;

Raccoons (64-76) vs. Crusaders (72-68) – September 6-8, 2069

The season series against the Loggers was not quite lost yet (6-9), but it was against the Crusades (5-10), who came in to mop up for the year. They were ninth in runs scored and fifth in runs allowed, but despite being four games over .500 they had a negative run differential at -14. With Eric Frasher and Ryan Marty they had two position players on the DL for the rest of the season, and Josh Roza, who had been quite the pain in the tush the last couple of meetings, was day-to-day with a back strain.

Projected matchups:
Nick Walla (10-15, 3.64 ERA) vs. Erik Lee (8-14, 4.23 ERA)
A.C. Stebbins (7-7, 3.78 ERA) vs. Russell Anderson (5-6, 5.42 ERA)
Tony Gaytan (8-14, 4.14 ERA) vs. Colt Long (11-8, 3.71 ERA)

One more righty, and then we’d finish the suck for the week with two southpaws.

Game 1
NYC: 3B Roza – SS Maudlin – CF Box – LF Ambriz – C A. Morris – 2B Philpot – 1B Duhon – RF Ledesma – P E. Lee
POR: SS Duhe – LF Otal – CF T. Wharton – C Flowe – 1B Fumero – 3B Gallo – RF Colter – 2B Mireles – P Walla

Walla got around conceding two singles in the second inning, but not around giving up another FOUR singles in the fourth inning, conceding a pair of runs to the Crusaders, and those were OF COURSE the first runs in the game, because the Raccoons had a Wharton single and not a lick more in the first three innings… - Maud, I am tired, can you just make them go away, please?

Nothing changed about the dire sight of the right-hand side of the box score in the middle innings, while Walla bravely and stubbornly soldiered on, but allowed another run in the seventh inning, which Chris Duhon began with a single to center. Raul Ledesma whiffed, but Erik Lee singled to center and Wharton completely bungled the ball and flubbed it through his own legs for an error, extra bases, and a run that became earned after Roza’s groundout. Lee was stranded, but I was clinging to the Capt’n Coma and wished for the season to ******* end. Poor Nick Walla pitched into the ninth, then allowed a double to Duhon and another stupid single to Lee, and was chased when Duhon rushed around to score from second base. Cam Bridges replaced him, was USELESS, and allowed two more singles to Roza and Jeff Maudlin, and then allowed Walla’s fifth run on Bryant Box’ groundout. Lee lost the shutout on a throwing error by catcher Zachary Norwood, who peppered away a grounder by Dan Gomez from the #9 hole leading off the bottom 9th, putting the runner on second base. Gates and Otal groundouts then brought the runner around. Wharton flew out, and that was the ******* game. 5-1 Crusaders.

Wharton single in the first – and no base hit after that.

Good grief.

Game 2
NYC: 3B Roza – SS Maudlin – CF Box – LF Ambriz – C A. Morris – 2B Philpot – 1B Duhon – RF Ledesma – P R. Anderson
POR: SS Duhe – LF Otal – CF T. Wharton – C Marquez – 2B Leggett – 1B Fumero – RF Corral – 3B Gates – P Stebbins

Wharton singled in the first again and that was it for a while. The Crusaders did not get a hit off Stebbins until Maudlin hit a leadoff single in the fourth, but he was left on base as well. Stebbins wasn’t exactly dominating, giving up three meaty fly outs to Wharton the first time through the order. Ryan Philpot hit a single in the fifth and was left on base as well, while the Raccoons remained on their daily Wharton single through five. Duhe and Wharton both drew walks in the bottom 6th and advanced into scoring position on Marquez’ groundout. Wally Leggett FINALLY got something done with a single to left, driving in both runners. Fumero then promptly hit another pathetic groundout.

Top 7th, and Jose Ambriz hit a single up the middle to get going. Andy Morris flew out, and Bryant Box, the only left-handed-hitting position player in the lineup against Stebbins, crashed a 2-run homer to right to take the lead away again. Stebbins completed seven, and was hit for after Gary Gates (still RBI-less) singled with one out in the bottom of the inning. Novelo grounded out after a wild pitch moved Gates to second, so the go-ahead run was on third base with two outs for Duhe, who grounded to the right side. Philpot knocked the ball down, but had no play, and the Coons took the lead on the infield single. Otal then flew out against Alex Dominguez to end the inning.

Danny Nava got the ball for the eighth inning, facing .116 hitter Raul Ledesma. He got him to 0-2 and then gave up a game-tying homer, at which point I felt one half of my stripey face drooping. Bottom 8th, Marquez hit a double and was stranded. Yamauchi did a scoreless ninth to keep the game tied. Brian Doster walked Corral and Gates to begin the bottom 9th, and Gallo batted for Yamauchi and was hit by a pitch to load the bags with nobody out. Duhe then hit into a splendid old 6-2-3 double play, and Otal grounded out to first, sending the ******* game to extra innings after all…….!! … (sobs) … McMahan’s 1-2-3 inning then was followed by Tyler Wharton socking an equally disgusted walkoff homer off Doster in the bottom 10th. 4-3 Blighters. T. Wharton 2-4, BB, HR, RBI; Stebbins 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K;

This was the 300th career homer for Tyler Wharton, not that he was in the mood to celebrate with the mouthbreathing halfwits on the team.

Game 3
NYC: 3B Roza – SS Maudlin – CF Box – C A. Morris – 2B Philpot – 1B Duhon – LF Nakamura – RF Ledesma – P L. Morales
POR: SS Duhe – LF Otal – CF T. Wharton – C Marquez – 2B Leggett – RF Fumero – 1B Gomez – 3B Jalomo – P Gaytan

Portland took a 2-0 lead in the first, which entailed no base hits, but a walk drawn by Otal, Wharton getting nicked, a double steal with a run-allowing throwing error by Morris, and after Marquez whiffed, a 2-out error by Philpot on Leggett’s grounder to get the second run home. Leggett got balked to second, but was left there by Fumero.

Gaytan loaded the bases with the 9-1-2 batters and nobody out in the third inning before Box grounded into a fielder’s choice at second, bringing in a run. Morris whiffed in a full count and Box was caught stealing second on the play, suddenly ending the inning. Otal walked and stole another base in the bottom of the inning, and Lorenzo Marquez banged a 2-run homer to give Gaytan a dizzying 4-1 lead. Fumero tripled and Gomez walked in the fourth, but Jalomo hit into his second double play of the game, even when this one scored another run.

Gaytan had left his stuff at home in the meantime. He fooled his pitch count up to 74 through four innings with only one strikeout and relying heavily on the defense. He got a K on Luis Morales in a 1-2-3 fifth, and then struck out two more in the sixth. Bottom 6th, Leggett and Fumero slapped 1-out singles off right-hander Mike Rocheford, and the slapping continued. Dan Gomez clapped an RBI single, and then Jalomo also shot an RBI single to right, which was his first career RBI, although not his first runner aided home… Dave Hyman replaced Rocheford and conceded another run not on hits, and not on one wild pitch, but on TWO wild pitches, but retired the Coons for the time being. Gaytan finished seven innings, but not without giving up another homer to Natsu Nakamura.

Pacheco got two outs in the eighth and then yielded for Holzmeister, who saw Maudlin reach on an error by Duhe, then gave up a triple to Box and a homer to Morris, and was beaten off the mound for ******* an 8-2 game into an 8-5 game. Nava got a fly out from Philpot to end the eighth inning. Fumero, Jalomo, and Gallo then loaded the bases against Alex Dominguez in the bottom 8th, when Corral batted for an 0-4 Duhe with one out. He drove in two with a single to right, and those were the final Raccoons runs in the game. Rated-R then got three straight outs from the Crusaders to put the game to bed. 10-5 Critters. Corral (PH) 1-1, 2 RBI; Fumero 3-4, 3B; Gomez 2-3, BB, RBI; Jalomo 2-4, RBI; Gallo (PH) 1-1; Gaytan 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, W (9-14);

In other news

September 2 – The Gold Sox beat the Stars, 7-6 in 14 innings. Both teams already scored a run in the 13th inning, but only the Sox kept scoring in the 14th.
September 2 – Wolves rookie OF/1B/2B Mike Raymond (.209, 6 HR, 32 RBI) hits a home run to beat the Warriors, 1-0.
September 4 – The Thunder score in only two innings against the Condors, but it’s enough for a 17-4 win with ten runs in the fourth and seven more in the sixth inning.
September 6 – Warriors catcher Gabe Rivas (.272, 6 HR, 41 RBI) bangs out five base hits and hits for the cycle with a spare double in a 17-8 slugfest win against the Gold Sox. Rivas drives in six runs in the effort.
September 6 – The Falcons beat the Condors, 9-3 in 13 innings, by scoring seven runs in the top of the 13th. Tijuana only answers with one run in their half of the inning before conceding.
September 7 – BOS SP Mike Bell (19-3, 2.32 ERA) is out for the season suffering from rotator cuff inflammation.
September 7 – Condors OF/1B/2B Mike Pinault (.217, 16 HR, 69 RBI) was also out for the year with a separated shoulder.
September 8 – SFB SP Austin LaRosa (10-11, 4.07 ERA) has his team’s only base hit, a single, in a 2-0 loss to the Knights’ Rob Wilkinson (8-11, 4.15 ERA) and Erik Swain (3-4, 2.29 ERA, 34 SV).

Player of the Week (FL): WAS RF/LF/1B Jay Lawyer (.374, 1 HR, 32 RBI), clipping .462 (12-26) with 1 HR, 6 RBI
Player of the Week (CL): POR CF Tyler Wharton (.315, 25 HR, 72 RBI), slapping .480 (12-25) with 2 HR, 4 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Tyler Wharton smashed his 300th career homer to end Saturday’s otherwise wretched game, and afterwards wasn’t in the mood for celebrations. EVERYBODY just wanted to get outta town for the winter…… Just pack your bag and leave for the night.

Four runs per game this week, despite knocking out a tenner and a seven. Didn’t win much outside those two games…

The season drags, and now the Elks are upon us again for four more games in Portland. We will visit Charlotte on the coming weekend.

Fun Fact: The three last cycles in the league have all been hit in Denver.

This includes SFW Gabe Rivas’ cycle this week, and the two 2068 cycles that gave five days apart, by DEN Ben Wilken at home against the Wolves, and IND Matt Martin on a visit to Colorado before that.

This is the longest string of league cycles at one specific place.